Hello! We’re eager to connect and partner with you throughout the 2023-24 school year in support of your children’s academic, social, and emotional growth. You can expect to receive these newsletters every Friday.

The Circle of Peace will take place at the Kenwood playground on Thursday, Sep. 21, at 9:50 a.m. Coinciding with International Peace Day, this school-wide gathering celebrates our peaceful way at Kenwood and fosters responsible citizenship in personal relationships and community relationships. The student body gathers in a circle to sing songs and recite the Peace Pledge. Parents/caregivers are encouraged to attend!

We are seeking volunteers who can arrive at Kenwood around 9:15 a.m. to assist with setup, including drawing the chalk peace sign, hanging student-made peace flags, and moving risers. If interested, please email Family Liaison Keri Mabry at keri.mabry@mpls.k12.mn.us.

The Kenwood Crawl is a family event and back-to-school tradition. Kids and families are invited to walk or run the perimeter of Kenwood Park with other kids and staff from their grade. Kids, wear your walking/running shoes!

Have fun, meet new friends, and get to know the Kenwood School Community. Create at the ARTrageous Adventures Creation Station. Enjoy food donated by our community business friends: Isles Bun & Coffee, Corner Coffee, Lunds & Byerlys, and Kowalski’s Market. Thank you to Corner Balloon Shoppe for adding cheer.

The Crawl is also a PTA fundraiser, supporting the school’s arts programs. Everyone walks! Donations are optional.

If you have a donation to contribute, please return envelopes to your teacher by Friday, Sep. 29, or bring it to the Crawl on Saturday. Checks can be made payable to Kenwood PTA. Online donations can be made at https://kenwoodpta.square.site.

• Kindergarten: 9:30 a.m.
• 1st grade: 9:45 a.m.
• 2nd grade: 10:00 a.m.
• 3rd grade: 10:10 a.m.
• 4th grade: 10:20 a.m.
• 5th grade: 10:30 a.m.

• The class with the highest participation at the Crawl will receive the Kenwood Walking Stick and a recess-in-the-park party.

• Three students will receive a gift card to Birchbark Books from a random drawing.

We want all of you to be there! If you need transportation, please call the school office at 612-668-2760 by Thursday, Sep. 28.

A few open Room Rep positions remain. If you have a student in any of the following classes, please consider volunteering: Ms. Kronmiller, Ms. Suedbeck, and Ms. DeMery.

Room Reps assist their teacher when needed with coordinating volunteers, communication about school community events, organizing holiday and end-of-year gifts for teachers, and serving as a liaison between PTA, teachers, and caregivers. Please email KenwoodSchoolPTA@gmail.com if you would like to support your student's classroom as a Room Rep.

Looking for an easy way to get involved at Kenwood? The lunchroom is a great way! Kenwood has volunteers each day who help students have a kind, safe, and efficient lunchroom experience. Duties include helping children open their lunches, serving lunch for the younger grades, cleaning up spills, and sanitizing the lunchroom before the next group of students arrive. We're looking for anyone (e.g., caregivers, grandparents, neighbors) who can help out for at least 30 minutes weekly or bi-weekly. You can sign up during your child's lunch period or do multiple lunch periods.

Sign up for lunch volunteering here. If you cannot commit to a regular schedule and would like to be on our substitute list, please fill out this form. If you have any questions about volunteering in the lunchroom, please reach out to Parent Volunteer Kelly Henry at kellybhenry@gmail.com.

When our afternoon buses are running late, the school will notify you via Talking Points or School Messenger. By default, parents/caregivers receive messages to their phone as TEXT or they can choose to download the Android or iOS Talking Points Family App for additional features. We’re very sorry for the unpredictable schedules. As drivers become more familiar with the routes, our buses will depart Kenwood closer to on time.

Parents/caregivers can call the attendance line at 612-668-2766 if students will be late, sick, etc. If no one answers, please leave a message. We will call you back if we have any questions.

Between now and Oct. 6, all students in K-5 will be assessed by their classroom teachers in reading and math to better understand their students' areas of strength and growth. The FAST assessments are brief and the results are utilized for instructional planning purposes. The FAST assessments are administered in fall, winter, and spring to track students’ progress.

Picture Day is Thursday, Oct. 12. Retakes will occur on Wednesday, Nov. 15.

Join us and learn French this year, our 11th year at Kenwood! Our instructors are French-speakers with training and experience helping children discover the French language through games, crafts, and engaging activities. This after school program welcomes everyone, grades K-5. Classes will take place in the Kenwood Media Lab on Wednesdays, 4:05 to 5:05 p.m.

For $360 per child, students receive 24 weeks of French, from Oct. 25 through May 8. A 10% sibling discount is available for families registering 2 or more children. No person will be refused because of inability to pay. For financial aid information, please contact Alliance Française at 612-332-0436. Register online at https://afmsp.org or call 612-332-0436.

Kenwood partners with Language Sprout to offer tuition-based, small-group Spanish instruction before school on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from Sep. 19 through May 23.

For more information and to register for spring, visit https://www.languagesprout.com/programs/in-school.

Have fun! Challenge yourself! Exercise your brain! K-5, all chess levels are welcome. Chess club will meet before school on Fridays, 8:20 a.m. to 9:20 a.m.

• Fall: Sep. 15 – Dec. 15 (skip Oct. 20, Nov. 25)
• Winter: Jan. 5 – Mar. 22 (skip Jan. 26, Mar. 1)
• Spring: Apr. 12 - Jun. 14

Register at https://twincitieschessclub.com/school/Registration.html.

Girls on the Run has two seasons and meets after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays through Nov. 9. Each season culminates with a joyful and fun non-competitive 5K Celebration. Details to come regarding registration for spring.

ALC is run by MPS and offers a variety of learning opportunities through their Extended Day Programs, Winter Break Session, Spring Break Session, Summer Session, and Homeschooling. More details about Kenwood's ALC programming, which will occur on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons from 4:00-5:30, to come later this month.

MPS Site Councils support site-based decision making in partnership with families, staff, community members, and students. MPS values family and community members as active partners in reviewing funding, policies, practices, and programs at our schools.

The next meeting will take place on Sep. 26 in the Kenwood Media Center. Interested community members can reach out to Principal Heidi Johnson at Heidi.Johnson@mpls.k12.mn.us.

Kids make new friends, learn new skills, and experience new things as they grow into their strongest, kindest, and most authentic selves. For questions, contact 800-845-0787 or girlscouts@girlscoutsrv.org.

$25 annual membership. Financial assistance is available. Submit a request here. Registration for 2024-25 Kindergartners opens in April. Sign up for a reminder here.

Families are invited to the BPAC Back to School Resource Fair on Sep. 18 at Bethune Arts Elementary. In addition to resources for enrollment, housing, tutoring, mentorship, early education, and more, there will be a backpack giveaway and dinner is provided.

Please use the QR code to RSVP as soon as possible.

In collaboration with Serpentina Arts, this exhibit will be on display from Sep. 15 to Oct. 13 at the Davis Center Art Gallery (1250 W. Broadway Ave).

Please share about who you are and what makes you proud of your identity! You can submit video, audio, writing, poetry, music, art, and more. Find ideas here. Submit by Wednesday, Oct. 4, using this form.

Join on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Green Central Elementary (3416 4th Ave S) for food, music, performances, games, a soccer clinic, and more.

The Office of Latine Achievement is offering a monthly learning series. The sessions will be virtual and in Spanish. Learn more and view the offerings here. For questions, please contact Liliana Rodríguez by email at liliana.rodriguez@mpls.k12.mn.us or by phone/text at 612-558-2317.

My name is Sue Pehrson and I have been teaching music for over 30 years. I taught private guitar, piano, voice lessons, and a preschool music program called Kindermusik while staying home with my three kids from 1981-1994. At that time, I began teaching in the Minneapolis schools at Wilder Early Childhood Center, Seward Montessori, and Lake Harriet Upper.

In 2009, I moved to Colorado where I taught music in Eagle and Vail, and enjoyed all that CO has to offer. This summer, I moved back to Minnesota to be closer to my kids because I now have three fun little grandboys and one little girl due in October! Our family is happy to all be back in Minnesota after some years of travel and living elsewhere.

I feel grateful to have the privilege of teaching the children at Kenwood. We have had a great start to our year! I'll look forward to meeting the families as the year progresses.

Ms. Sue

I have over 13 years of experience working with children and families as a counselor, behavior specialist, and social worker. I was born in Phoenix, raised in Dallas, and am a member of the Navajo Nation. I studied psychology and English at Harvard University, where I met my husband (who is a proud graduate of Minnesota public schools). In 2011, we moved to New York City, where I worked in the fields of child welfare and education law and received an MSW from Hunter College. I’m a doctoral candidate at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and am eager to not pursue more degrees after this (though I am eager to continue learning). We relocated to Minneapolis in 2021 with our dog, Mochi, who hopes to make an appearance at a future dog-friendly Kenwood gathering.

• CityWide Student Leadership Board: Do you know a student in grade 9-12 who is interested in sharing their voice regarding how MPS operates? Applications are open between now and Sep. 20 for CityWide Student Leadership Board. Apply here.

• Trucksploration (Free): Sep. 23 from 12:00-3:00 p.m. at Lake Harriet Upper Campus (50th & Vincent Ave S). For more information, call 612-668-3100.

• Youth Self-Defense & Safety Awareness Class ($5 Registration Fee + $8 Weekly Fee): Register on Sep. 23 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. at Christ Church Gymnasium (3244 34th Ave S). Classes are held every Saturday for 12 weeks. For more information, call 952-997-7732.

Email: keri.mabry@mpls.k12.mn.us

Website: https://kenwood.mpls.k12.mn.us/Home
Location: 2013 Penn Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, USA
Phone: 612-668-2760

Explore the MPS community resource page for information and opportunities related to internet and technology, food, healthcare, mental health, legal aid and immigration resources, and more.